So if you’ve never ordered from Zulily before, you should know that it’s very different than ordering directly from a merchant site. Sometimes the items take several weeks to arrive at your door. But the price points make wait worth it.

Once in a while, you might receive a damaged item like the one I received over the weekend. It is technically still wearable, but not something one should have to pay for…right!?

Well let me tell you, Zulily has the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER! I should know, since that’s the name of my game. These people responded to my legitimate complaint within an hour of submittal, refunded my card, told me to keep the damaged merchandise, AND gave me a credit to come back and shop with them again. THAT is how you treat a customer and THAT is how you get said customer to write a glowing review to share with their network.

Of course we all have our vices that are brought to front and center on January 1 of any given year. For the entire month of January (or at least for the first week anyway), those items get a new title called ‘Resolutions’. Resolutions are typically not warm fuzzies. They’re more like cold pricklies that jab at you when you go to bed at night or while you’re in the shower thinking how good you’re going to be and doggone it this year you’re really going to make it happen!

Pfft. Whatevs. Let’s regroup in February, then again in May when you want to get into that bathing suit or in October when you want those jeans to look better or better yet, let’s talk again in December as we’re setting the same goals for next year. It’s a never-ending, vicious cycle, right?!

This morning, I read a blog that helped me to realize that it’s not only the actions that need to change. It’s much deeper and quite a bit easier than that. I don’t necessarily need to get up at 4:45 to get to the gym…I just need to MOVE throughout the day. I don’t need to eat broccoli for dinner every night…I just need to eat LESS of what I’m already eating (and probably not as much fried shit and maybe choose water over sodie more often). It’s changing the way you THINK that will create the ripple effect and impact your actions.

Be proud of your small accomplishments. Be grateful that the people in your life are supporting you no matter what. Take the pressure off and ENJOY life – just try to make healthier choices while doing so.

After shopping nearly non-stop for the last 30-45 days, we are officially broke…exhausted…and cranky. Don’t get me wrong, giving is one of the most rewarding things one can do, and when it comes to the holidays, we do it right. We don’t skimp. We both come from amazing families that really know how to spread the love during Christmastime.

I think we had a total of 7 or 8 holiday parties / gatherings this month plus 2 birthdays, 2 basketball tournaments, 2 sick kiddos, 2 canceled hair appointments, a dentist appointment, and a partridge in a pear tree!

I feel so blessed to be this tired. If it weren’t for all of the friends and family and love surrounding us, we wouldn’t be in this pickle. And I sure don’t mind being in this pickle.

I grew up in the burbs…in a bubble. I’ve had two traffic tickets in my entire life (and one was for not using my turn signal). Crime is foreign to me. I’m an in-denial, slightly naive, white woman in my 40’s. And I’m sick…and…tired of race cards, blame, and entitlement.

I feel kids aren’t being taught the basic values and principles these days: be kind, obey the law, respect your elders, study hard at school, and work your ass off. That is the only formula that a child of any ethnicity ever needs to know to be successful in this life!

Stop brainwashing your kids in to thinking that police officers are bad. Instead, encourage them to BECOME a police officer and be a positive force to other children in the neighborhood. Be attentive. Listen to them. Discipline them. Lead by example. Teach consequences for actions.

These things are FREE folks. It doesn’t matter where you are or what color skin you have or how much money you make. If you aren’t doing these things, then YOU are at fault and YOU are the problem. When you don’t build a home with a foundation, it is more likely to crumble. When you don’t raise a child with foundational principles, they are more likely to become criminals.

These people looting and rioting and setting businesses in their own town on fire…these are people with no regard to others. They are not at home feeling guilty for what they’ve done. They are planning their next theft. And when one of them gets arrested, or comes into harm’s way because of that theft, we’ll start this whole thing over as their family members blame it on the officer(s) instead of coming to terms with the fact that had their child NOT broken the law, none of this would have happened.

So can we just stop blaming others, take control of our own homes and families, and make this world a better place by simply making a choice to do the RIGHT thing?

Today’s story involved an employee, an escort from work in handcuffs, a baby mama, jail, a sister, a co-signature on a rental car that was never returned and was used in several smash n grabs, $500 bond, and three days of missed work.

I hope you enjoyed the just-enough-to-make-you-glad-it’s-not-you version. Good day.

We are a household of man, wife, one bulldog, two maine coon cats, and two bonus daughters (14 and 8) every other weekend and once a week. This, in itself, keeps one’s stress level at an even 7 with work, dinner, laundry, cleaning, miscellaneous chores, sports, vets, keeping a smile on my face, etc. Throw a pool / fence / deck install into the mix and that stress level skyrockets to an 11. Budgeting has taken on an entirely new meaning. Time management is a thing of the past. Now we just do what we can in the hours that we’re awake and leave whatever is left to the list for the next day (or week…don’t judge).

I miss the UPS truck stopping at our house. I miss seeing ten o’clock. I miss attitude-less conversations with my bonus daughters. I miss the times when there wasn’t a dog snoring between me and my husband in bed. I miss my normal resting heart rate.

While I miss all of these things, I can’t begin to explain how excited I am knowing that a few months of this level of stress will be worth it when we can open our brand new pool in the late Spring next year and RELAX while floating on a raft or sunbathing on a chaise lounge or entertain in a rocker by the fire pit. None of these things would have been possible without a little extra stress.

So I say, bring on the stress!! If all payouts are like this, then bring-it-on!!

So yeah, I’m a BzzAgent. If you don’t know what that is, you should totally look into becoming one yourself. You get to try out new things before or just as they hit the market. Share products and coupons with your friends. Give your opinion to people who are purposefully asking for it. And it’s all FREE!! Seriously.

I’ve tested everything from a sonic toothbrush, to coffee, to an automatic tape measure, to my newest arrival…sunscreen!

When I got the package yesterday, I opened one of the bottles and rubbed a little in like lotion. It is super sheer, nothing oily about it, and it smells like SUMMER!!! Who doesn’t love that?

Some people are bullies by nature. Some are hidden in plain site. Some bullies are so subtle that you have to think about what happened before you realize you were bullied. Of course, I doubt that any of these types of bullies are even aware that their words and actions hurt. Heck…it’s likely that we’ve all been on the giving end of the bully stick.

Think twice next time you throw that dagger under your breath, but loud enough for others to hear. Second guess yourself before calling that person a name or judging them by what you perceive. Some people think that perception is reality…but that’s not always the case. Take 30-seconds to ask a question and err on the side of kindness.

There’s a reason for the saying “you catch more bees with sugar and honey than you do with vinegar.”

In my head, clipping coupon takes 10 minutes and they will all be used during my next visit to the grocery store. In reality, coupon clipping takes 10 HOURS and the likelihood of them seeing daylight is slim.

What is the secret?

I wake up, grab the Saturday paper from the driveway, make coffee, get the coupon binder from my car trunk, get the coupon caddy (with scissors, pen, pencil, and tabbies), and set up shop at the kitchen table. Discard all black and white printed materials…who really reads the paper anymore anyway? Pet the dog…aww…you’re such a pretty doggie…aren’t you…aren’t you? Oh look, Kohl’s is having a sale. Flip..flip…flip…wait, what was on the first page again? Okay, a coupon ad. I need that, and that, and don’t need that, but maybe there will be some crazy deal at the store and I’ll get it for free, that, that, not that. Awwww – I know puppers…you are so cute with your chin on my leg…awwwww…mommy loves you too. Best Buy ad…hmm…wonder if they have anything cool…nope…dumb…how are they still in business?

After going through this same exercise for three hours, my butt is numb, my coffee is empty, and it’s time for lunch. Maybe I’ll turn on the TV while I eat. Oooo – the Food Network Channel. Two hours later, I’m back at my kitchen table resuming the coupon cutting chore that I started. Crap…I forgot to switch out the laundry. Be right back…yawn…maybe a little nap first.

It’s now 2 and I need to get things wrapped up here, so I take all of my coupons and get them into my binder. But first I have to go through and toss those that have expired. Okay…that’s done. Crap…it’s too big so do I trim it or fold it? Ehhh – folding is faster. Just forget it. Maybe I’ll just shove them all into the front fold and finish this tomorrow.

See? How do you coupon people do this?? I have given couponing a college effort, but I seem to be getting worse and worse at it!